The central antagonism of the current historical moment is one that we can now unhesitatingly call empire. It is marked by those who equate global peace and freedom with the free trade gospel of neoliberalism. But it is also characterized by those who, in taking to the streets of Seattle, Quebec City, Genoa, Prague and elsewhere, demonstrate their defiant conviction that another world outside the razor-wired precincts of globalized capitalism is possible.

Such is the title of the communication I was asked to present to you this morning.

Well, it has two main terms. Logically, the very first thing to do is to analyse these two concepts.

Firstly, what is a right? Looking up in a dictionary this is defined as a moral or legal claim to have or get something or to behave in a particular way. For a person to have rights, legally recognised and enforced by the organised society, it means to be entitled as a citizen, and not being a serf or a slave. And this is a relatively new concept in the History of Humankind. Its foundation and evolution runs in parallel with the shaping of democracy. Despite some brief and confined historical moments when the issue of rights was raised, it is commonly accepted that human rights, as a universal prerogative that belongs to all and every human being, emerged with the French Revolution.

In this presentation, I will focus on community development which has a distinctive history within the politics of the state in the UK (including Scotland). Any overview of community development would suggest that the fundamental continuities are as significant as the changes ie community development has specific characteristics which make it meaningful or useful, despite the contingencies of time and context. Marjorie Mayo wrote a seminal critique of community development in 1975 which argued that community development fulfilled economic, political and ideological functions for the state – that still stands, but in a context in which the nature of the state has changed considerably. I am going to try to outline some of the changes, but also to emphasise some continuities.

Adult learning in Australia is organised in a number of different ways. In the jurisdiction of Victoria, adult and community education (ACE) is the fourth arm of education and training, alongside the schools, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), and higher education sectors. Certain features define the Victorian ACE sector, including an emphasis on community ownership and direction, a responsiveness to local community needs, a commitment to the principles of adult learning and a strong record in access and equity in the provision of services. ACE in Victoria is well positioned to respond to the needs of groups marginalised in Australian society, including migrants, people with low levels of educational attainment and unemployed people.